“Reacher” star Alan Ritchson admits sexual harassment by “famous” photographer: “Left scars”

“Reacher” star Alan Ritchson talks about being sexually harassed by a photographer early in his career.

In an interview for The Hollywood Reporter, Ritchson spoke about his experiences in the modeling industry and said he “enjoyed” his previous career.

“I was booked for a photo shoot by this very famous photographer. I was sent to a hotel room to take nude photos with the promise that if I did the photo shoot, he would offer me a very lucrative magazine campaign and clothing line,” Ritchson told the entertainment channel. “I was sexually harassed by this guy.”

Alan Ritchson says He switched to “Reacher” mode to prevent a carjacking in Canada

After confronting his agency about sending him to the shoot, the “Ordinary Angels” star gave up modeling.

“I left the industry and it was the last photo shoot I ever did. Those pictures were never seen or published. That was it. I swore off it and thank God acting found me at exactly the same time so I was able to move on to a new career, but it left some scars,” said Ritchson. He did not reveal the photographer.

He also compared his modeling career to human trafficking and said the industry was “unregulated.”

“It’s a well-known secret that when you’re hired for a job, you’re basically handed off to a photographer who is then traded,” Ritchson said. “The number of times I was put in horrific environments where sexual abuse was the goal and the paycheck you absolutely needed to survive was the carrot, I can’t count on two hands. It was quite a few times.”

Ritchson also described being sexually harassed and assaulted by photographer Mario Testino at a dinner following the Versace fashion show in 2014. USA TODAY has reached out to Testino’s representatives for comment.

Although Ritchson acknowledged the initial, harrowing situation, he admitted that it was even worse for women.

“You’re always dancing around this horrible tightrope of, ‘How do I keep my job without completely insulting this photographer or this agent or whoever set this whole thing up, and how do I avoid being raped?’ I completely sympathize with women who face dynamic power struggles and predatory people in the workplace,” Ritchson said.

“It’s still unfair, but if I really had to, I could leave the room I’m in through a physical confrontation. Most women don’t have that option. Imagine how terrifying that must be,” he continued.

Alan Ritchson says he has become “Reacher” to prevent a car theft in Canada

And Ritchson was recently involved in a physical altercation. In January, he made headlines when he described his attempt to prevent a robbery while waking up for dinner with his wife, Catherine, in Montreal, Canada. The couple watched someone break into a car, and he ignored his wife’s advice not to get involved in the situation.

Ritchson told Canadian entertainment news program Etalk that he “immediately went into ‘Reacher’ mode” and chased the person for four blocks until he “threw him into a building and the police came.”

The former “Smallville” star also spoke to the Hollywood Reporter about his past suicidal thoughts and attempts, saying he attempted suicide after a series of negative events in his life.

“I hanged myself. It all happened so fast and I was dangling there,” Ritchson said, adding that he attempted suicide but his experience of doing “a million pull-ups” helped him save himself after seeing his three sons in a vision.

He later said doctors diagnosed him with ADHD and bipolar disorder.

If you are a victim of sexual assault, RAINN offers support through the National Sexual Assault Hotline (800.656.HOPE & online.rainn.org).

If you or someone you know needs mental health resources and support, please call or chat with the 988 Suicide and Crisis Hotline or visit 988lifeline.org for 24/7 access to free and confidential services.

Contributors: Emily DeLetter

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Alan Ritchson reveals sexual abuse by famous photographer